Defect
by lightblue-Nymphadora
Summary: Five years after the collapse of the Dagger Pagoda, Chimaera is unified under Thor's rule. There is peace between the planet and the system of Juno, but not everything is as it seems. Something sinister lurks behind Hecate's facade of peace.
1. Chapter 1

_**LbN: This is my first Beast King fic! Hope you guys like it. I'll try to have the next chapter up today or tomorrow. **_

Salem would never be Third—Heather—, but damned if he didn't come close. Thor tossed his hair out of his eyes and looked over his friend's shoulder. "Is everything here?"

"All of it, and a little extra," Salem said with a grin. "Our hunters did well this season. They're heading out in a bit to do one last round up. It's the newbies, so Jack and I are going along to make sure they don't get into any trouble."

"Good plan," Thor chuckled. He followed Salem out of the store room. As the Second locked the door behind them, Thor was thinking hard. "How many were born this time?"

"For the millionth time, Thor," Salem said gently, "We have more than enough food. I wouldn't throw huge feasts or anything, but our stores are better than they've ever been. And to answer your question, we only had 15 babies this spring."

Thor smiled and nodded as they walked back into the main part of the building.

They were better than ever. Not just the food stores, either. Chimaera was thriving, even if the population was still lower than any other planet. Conditions were still harsh, but now the people weren't compounding the situation by fighting amongst themselves. They'd even made peace with Hecate three years back—two years after the fall of the Tower. Since then, the capital planet had stopped exiling its prisoners to Kimaera. Only the really hardened criminals had stayed away from society, and the planet had gotten to them. The rest had come in, just like the Yado, and become a part of the planet. There were no more official "Rings," but people still lived in the different areas of the planet based on where the former tribes used to be.

However much Thor hated the pedestal he was put on by most of the world, it couldn't be denied that he was the cause of their unity.

"You coming with us, Beast King?" Salem's younger brother Anoki asked when they reached the front hall.

"Not this time," Thor said. "Salem is, though."

"Come on, Thor," Salem wheedled. "It's the last hunt of the season. You know you want to go."

It was true, Thor thought. He hadn't gotten to hunt in a long time. "Alright," he said, grinning. "You're on."

* * *

Thor dodged a vine. "Echtooh melon tentacle coming your way!" he called, jumping over another questing vine. "I've got one occupied."

"Cutting the fruit!" one of the younger hunters yelled. "Got it!"

Thor stopped dodging the vine and struck out with his sword. The vine recoiled immediately, wrapping around the trunk. "How many did you get?" he panted when the girl, Savva, came toward him.

"Only two. Left a few just so we don't completely pick the forest clean. Where did the others get to?"

"They found a magenorb tree down the hill. They're picking some berries. We can—"

"THOR!" a voice yelled. "Verasoma!"

They took off running down the hill. It was a big one, even by verasoma standards. Thor ran over to the team. The plant had one of them in its clutches, and the rest were trying to kill it. "Salem! Come with me!"

"It's got Anoki!" Salem yelled, jumping onto the bulb with Thor. "We've got to hurry!"

"Find the gap!" Thor worked a little faster than Salem, as his balance was better. He found the verasoma's only vulnerable spot and began shooting. To his surprise, the plant covered itself. "Salem, start shooting when I get it open!" He took his sword and pried the plant's cover off. In another moment, the plant had stopped moving and he hopped down.

Anoki lay on the ground a few feet away. He had a huge gash across his torso, and was bleeding profusely. "S…Salem…"

"It's alright, I've got you," Salem said.

Thor wrapped the boy's wound tightly. "I need—"

"Way ahead of you, man," Savva said, pulling one of the hover cars to a stop next to them. "Already made him a space—figured he wouldn't mind chillin' in back with the fruit."

"Drive fast," Thor told her. "Be careful. The rest of you, load up. We're going home."

By the time the team made it back and handed the fruit over to the people working the supply room, Salem was waiting for Thor in the landing by the rooms. "He didn't make it," the Third said quietly. "Lost too much blood. The doctor's…taking care of everything."

Thor squeezed his shoulder. "I know what you're feeling right now, but there was nothing you could have done." He was silent for a moment, then said, "Come with me. I'm going to the Noire station to pick up my son. You can stay with your sister."

"Right. She needs to know."

Thor nodded, leading him out to the loading docks. "Savva, what do you got on the Verasoma situation?" he called as he and Salem chose two bikes.

"Jack," she said, grumpily. "We're going to get the old diagrams now, and figure something out. A few of the guys are going out again to take some aerial pictures."

"Just be careful," Thor said. "I'll be back in a few hours."

* * *

The Noire station was vast. Thor liked it there. It had few people, so it always seemed quieter than the chaos that was the Ochre station. Their footsteps echoed in the halls as he and his Third tried to find their respective families.

Salem stopped and looked down one of the hallways. "This is me," he said. Without another word, he walked away.

Thor wanted to call to him, to say something encouraging, but he couldn't. This was partially because he didn't know what to say, but partially because at that moment, something small attached itself to his leg. It was his son, Rai. "There you are," he said, smiling.

"Daddy!"

Thor picked him up and saw the boy's mother, Tzaddi, coming down the stairs towards them. Theirs was an interesting relationship. Some called it a relationship of convenience, but really it was even less complex than that. Thor just couldn't keep his calendar straight. He'd forgotten it was the Mating Month three years ago, overindulged on his favorite mead, and now he had a kid. Simple, really. He and Tzaddi got along fine, when forced to be in each other's company, but they didn't feel the need for chit chat. "Is he ready to leave?"

"He is. He does have clothes that fit at the Ochre station, right?" she asked with a smirk.

"Of course he does," Thor said, rolling his eyes. "See you in 181 days then?"

"Hopefully."

Thor smiled and kissed her forehead (mostly because he knew she hated it). "We'll be going then." He took his son's hand and led the boy back to the hover bike.

**_LbN: All of the drama starts in the next chapter. Reviews are much appreciated! :)_**


	2. Chapter 2

**Defect**

"As per our previous talks, I believe it would be fruitful to have voluntary traffic to _and from _Chimaera, but obviously that will take years of work on both of our parts."

"Indeed," Thor said, nodding at the image of Hecate's Chancellor on the screen. "I agree. One day, the populous should know of Chimaera, but for now let's settle on an end to the penal colony status of the planet."

"Here, here!" the Chancellor said. "Your council has looked over the treaty?"

"Yes, and we find the final revisions satisfactory. We have all signed."

"Excellent. If you'll send it to me, I'll sign it as well. Then we can officially call all of this business history, and move into another chapter of our universe."

Thor smiled and slid the paper into the machine in front of him. He pressed a button, and a second later, the paper was gone. It reappeared inside of a similar machine at the Chancellor's elbow. With relief, Thor watched the Chancellor sign the treaty, and put his seal on it.

"Very good, indeed," said the older man. "All is finished. I'm sending a copy back now."

"Thank you for your time, Chancellor."

"And you for yours, Thor. A good day to you all." With that, the screen went blank.

Smiling, Thor leaned back in his chair and looked at the copy of the treaty. "What a successful last day of the year."

"I still think he's going to want something," Salem said. "Whoever heard of a win-win situation, when entire planets are involved?"

"True," Thor said. "But we have to take what we can get, when we can get it. It's better to have this treaty now, and deal with the rest later, than to have nothing at all."

"Exactly," Kayia, Thor's Second, said. "I think he'll try to pull something on us, but at least now we have some sort of political…er…cushion."

"In any case," Salem said, "It is nice to not have to sit in any more five-hour meetings, right Thor?" He grinned at his leader.

Thor, notorious for being unable to sit still for very long, smirked. "Couldn't have said it better myself. Let's get down to dinner, shall we?"

* * *

Bells tolled across Chimaera, signaling the last three hours of daylight. Most people abandoned the dining hall in favor of savoring the last few hours of sunlight. Thor helped his son find a spot near the windows to eat and sat with him.

"Daddy? Why there's no cake tonight?"

"Because it's almost winter," Thor explained. "So we have to save up. There won't be cake for a while now, except for special occasions." He smiled as his son pouted. "Look, I'll show you why." He made a box with some of his food, and put a few pieces of fruit inside of it. "Pretend that this is the storage cell. If I take out half a piece of fruit," he cut it and ate it, "That'll feed me for one night. Now, if I have cake, I have to use a whole piece. That means I'll use up all of my food faster. You see?"

"I still want cake."

Thor laughed. That would teach him to try and reason with a three year old.

* * *

As the light dimmed and the warning bells tolled, Thor made his way through the station, making sure everything was ready. He could feel the temperature dropping. Most people had already blocked the undersides of their doors, and those who hadn't were doing so. The food stores were locked, and all keys were in Kayia's hands.

"I'm off to bed, boss," she said, yawning. "I'll make sure the lanterns on the observation deck are working on my way."

"Thanks Kayia." Thor continued his rounds, stopping finally at the east landing. Salem was there, holding a blanket. "Everything alright?" he asked.

"Fine. My sister decided to stay with me for a while. I'm just getting her bed ready."

"Right."

Instead of going into his room, Salem came and stood next to Thor. "I hate the sunset."

"Because it means we have to deal with the night?"

"Because it's so damn cheerful about it. It's beautiful, and we won't get to see anything like it for another 181 days. It's vexing."

Thor smiled and squeezed the Third's shoulder. "I hear you. Take it easy, okay?"

Salem nodded and returned to his room.

Thor made his way through the housing section of the station and entered his chambers. His son was asleep already. He closed the curtains to the boy's room and went into his own bedroom to read.

A commotion in the hall broke Thor from his light doze. He grabbed his cloak and rushed out of his chambers and down the hall. "What's the problem?" he asked, surveying the scene.

A teenage boy lay on the stones in front of him, looking up at a grown man towering over him. "Thor…I…"

"This hoodlum," the man boomed, "is your problem."

"I didn't do anything, Thor, I swear!" the boy said.

"I caught him in my daughter's room!" the man yelled. "He's lucky I didn't smash that pretty face of his onto the pavement!"

"Dad, I let him in!" the daughter insisted, coming out of their apartment. "If you're going to yell at someone, yell at me."

But the father was on a roll, with no intention of stopping. "You think you can just come into my home—"

"Mitchell, please," the wife said urgently. "You'll wake the whole station."

"GOOD!" Mitchell bellowed. "Get his parents up and out here to see what's become of their son."

"That's quite enough," Thor said, holding up a hand. "Get up, Donnovan."

"Oh, that's his name—the rascal," Mitchell began, but stopped at a look from Thor.

"This boy is no hoodlum, no rascal," Thor began. "He is one of the most diligent sentries this station has. He, at so young an age, has stayed up days, nights, in all manner of weather, watching over our station. Your daughter would do well to date him. And, if memory serves me correctly, that decision will soon be out of your realm of control. Aaliyah turns 20 in three weeks, correct?" Cycles were their term for weeks.

"Yes."

"Then she will be given her own rooms, as is tradition. She will be an adult, and there are worse choices she could make than Donnovan."

The man didn't look happy at all about that speech, but stayed silent.

Thor turned to the boy. "However, for the next three cycles, she is still in the care of her father. And you will respect him. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Thor," Donnovan said, blushing.

"I expect you to apologize, and then the pair of you will talk about this like men. Good night to you all."

The group retreated and Salem came over from where he'd been lurking. "I see you handled it."

"I must admit, that was a first," Thor chuckled.

"Daddy," a voice whined.

"Rai, what are you doing out of bed? And without a cloak?"

"There are flashing lights outside of my window, and I can't sleep."

"Lights?" Thor asked. He picked up his son and motioned for Salem to follow. Back in his chambers, he could see the lights as well.

"Those are headlights off of a transport!" Salem exclaimed. "What in the world?"

"Rai, stay here," Thor said. "You may stay up and wait for me, if you like, but stay in the room."

"Yes, Daddy."

"Salem, wake the team. I'll alert the sentries and meet you at the loading dock."

"Right."

With one last look at the flashing lights, Thor ran to get ready to brave the cold.


	3. Chapter 3

_**LbN: Thanks for the reviews, guys! Hope you like the new chapter. **_

_**

* * *

**_

The only good thing was that this had happened on the first night of winter, Thor concluded. The snow was just settling in, and it wasn't a terrible storm, so conditions for the cars weren't awful. When they made it to the ruins of the Dagger Pagoda, they saw that the transport had lodged itself in one of the crevices. Thankfully, the doors were not blocked. Thor pried one open and walked into the darkness. Something whizzed by his head. A boy swung his sword again, but Thor was ready this time. There wasn't much room to fight in the small entryway, so he pinned the boy to the wall, disarming him. "Who are you?" he asked.

"Kenzo," the boy said, panting. His terrified eyes darted to the back of the transport, and back to Thor.

It was then that Thor noticed that there were more children aboard the craft. He backed away from Kenzo, and handed the boy his sword back. "You're a very brave fighter, but there's no need to be afraid. I'm Thor, the ruler of this planet."

"Oh," was all Kenzo said.

"How many of you are there?"

"Six."

Thor nodded. "Come with…is that a baby?"

"Yes. Why?"

Thor's mind was reeling. What in the name of Chimaera was happening? "We'll discuss everything when we get somewhere warm. Come along, all of you."

The children cast nervous glances at each other, but followed. The temperature inside the transport was almost as cold as outside of it, so they had no other choice.

Thor turned off the transport's flashing headlights and followed them outside. When everyone was situated onto a hover bike, they took off into the night.

* * *

Thor could hear Rada's voice as he walked down the hall toward the meeting room. He yawned, wanting nothing more than to go back to his rooms and fall asleep. But he couldn't. After moving beds and a crib into one of the empty apartments, and checking on his son, Thor had called a meeting to address what was happening. He walked wearily into the room and took his seat at the head of the oblong table. He leaned back in his chair, so that only the back two legs were on the ground, and folded his hands over his stomach.

"Those bastards signed a treaty and still sent transports!" Rada fumed, banging his fist on the table. "We ought to take a ship over there right now."

"What I don't understand is why they sent children," Kayia said. "Those kids are too young to be criminals."

"You've got that right," Savva agreed. "They've got such bad separation anxiety that it took me forever to be able to leave and get them some food."

"We should wake some people up on Hecate," Salem said. "If this is the Chancellor's idea of a treaty, we should correct him."

Thor sat up finally, and the room got quiet. "None of us are in the frame of mind for diplomatic talks," he said. "Rada, get us copies of the treaty to look over. Here's the point: the children are here, and must stay here until we get to the bottom of this. My dear Second has gotten to the key part of the matter—why children? There is something big going on here. The first thing to do," he said, holding up the paper Rada had passed to him, "Is to find out what loophole they found. With all of our revisions, on both sides, they were bound to have noticed one. Tomorrow, I will speak to Kenzo. He seems to be the oldest, and the children look to him as their leader. After that, we will figure out a course of action. Remember, Chimaera is still relatively secret; which means we are still at the mercy of the Juno system, more or less. It will do us no good to go accusing them of breaking the treaty, when we don't have any facts."

"Thor," Salem said quietly. "I think I've found the problem."

"Yes?"

"It says that no criminal transports will be sent to Chimaera—which, I'm sure, is the case. I doubt the kids have done anything wrong. But I think that's where our flaw was. We were so worried about them flooding the planet with criminals, that we made it too specific."

"You're saying that he's sending random people down here, because I forgot to tell him not to."

"In essence. With all of our talks about making Chimaera a public planet eventually, we forgot about the now. It would have been an easy fix—just adding the stipulation that all other transports must be approved by both governing parties. But we didn't. We traded our consent to be a private planet for their not moving criminals here, and that's where the treaty ends."

"Damn," Thor said. Salem was right. "Unfortunately, that still doesn't explain why they're sending children down here, alone, in the middle of winter."

"Guess we'll have to wait until morning to figure that one out," Savva said, yawning.

Thor glanced over at the hourglass. "Which is only five hours away. Go to bed, team. We'll deal with this in the morning."

* * *

"Why Thor! I didn't expect to speak with you so soon. What can I do for you?" the Chancellor asked.

"I'm calling about the transport."

"What transport?"

"The transport that landed here last night. Full of children."

"Thor, surely you're joking. We haven't sent a transport in months, much less one full of kids."

"Six children under the age of ten crash landed near the ruins last night," Thor said, trying to keep his patience. "It was a transport pod of the same style that Hecate uses."

"Thor, people from all over use those pods! They might even be runaways from another system. I have no knowledge of a transport being shipped to Chimaera."

Thor stared at him for a moment. "Very well," he said. "I'm sure there's some misunderstanding here. Sorry to trouble you with this."

"No trouble at all. I'm happy I could clear things up," the Chancellor said.

The Beast King couldn't help but notice the man's smug grin. "Indeed. Have a nice week, sir." He pushed the button and ended the transmission. "You can come in now, Salem."

His Third walked into the room, smirking. "How'd you know I was there?"

"Because the only other person with the balls to eavesdrop is Savva, and she would've come inside to begin with."

"Why'd you give up with him so easy, Thor?" Salem asked. "You know he was lying."

"I know," Thor agreed, nodding. "But it won't do any good to push the matter now. What we need to do is talk to the children. Then we'll figure out where to go from there."

_**LbN: Hope you liked the chapter! Send reviews please. I love feedback! :)**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**LbN: Ummm...fail? I'm totally owning it: I just straight up forgot about this one. Sorry for the wait! Will definitely get back to work on this one. :)**_

* * *

Thor knocked softly on the door before entering. He saw all of the children were still asleep, save for one. "Kenzo…. Have you been up all night?" The boy said nothing, but Thor saw his eyes dart around to the other children. "You needn't be afraid for them. I promise you, no one will hurt any of you. Have you been up all night?"

"Yes," Kenzo said finally.

Thor nodded. "The bells will ring in about fifteen minutes. I'll have Savva, the woman who brought you food last night, bring breakfast up to you. You get some sleep, and you can eat when you wake up."

Kenzo stared at him warily.

"If you'd like, I'll stay right outside the door. Only Savva and I will enter."

The boy nodded, and curled up on the couch under a thick blanket. "Thank you," he said, before closing his eyes.

* * *

The Second and Third stared at each other intently. Then, at the exact same time, they reached for the last piece of bacon. Kayia was faster, as always. "Hah!"

"You always get the last slice," Salem grumbled.

"I swear," Salem's sister Guinea said. "You two act like children."

Thor cleared his throat, "Speaking of… I'm going to try to talk to Kenzo this afternoon. I'd appreciate it if you took the others for a tour of the compound."

"No worries, Thor," Kayia said. "Any theories about what's going on?"

"Only one….Their parents were killed for some reason, and they were sent here to be put out of the way. Unfortunately, that raises more questions than it answers."

"It'll be fine, though," Salem said. "We'll figure it out."

"Daddy!" two voices shouted. One was Rai, and the other was Tiz, his adopted daughter.

"There you are!" Thor said, smiling at them. "Tiz, there are some children I want you to meet. The oldest boy is ten, only a year younger than you. I expect you to help them get settled."

"Sure, Daddy."

"Very well. Take your brother to his tutors. And don't be late for class. I shall see you at lunchtime." He kissed both of them on their heads and stood up from the table. "I'm going back to the Pagoda. I'll look through the ship and see if there isn't anything there. After that…." He sighed. He really didn't know what to do. "After that, I'll talk to Kenzo. Depending on what he tells me, we may have to send messengers to the other Rings tonight."

"Would you like me to accompany you?" Salem asked.

Thor thought for a moment. "No," he said, finally. "I'd like you and Kayia, and Savva if she's free, to stay with the children today. I don't want anyone asking them a lot of unnecessary questions. And, they need to learn the routine of the compound. I shan't be long."

"Alright," Salem said. "Be careful."

Thor nodded and wrapped his cloak around him. With a wave, he made his way to the snow-covered loading docks.

* * *

Ice had settled onto the transport. It took a bit more force to pry the doors open this time. Thor walked silently through the pod, on alert for anything out of the ordinary. Nothing caught his eye. It seemed as though the kids hadn't brought anything with them—no toys, no luggage, nothing. He stooped down and checked under the seats. There was a piece of plastic near the back escape hatch. Grabbing it, he turned it over in his hands. It looked like some sort of tag. "Baroque," he read. He put it in his pocket and checked the rest of the ship. Finding nothing, he headed back to the compound.

* * *

"Never heard of it," Rada said.

They were in the conference room, discussing the tag Thor had found. "What do you think this is?" he asked.

"Could be something as stupid as a toy that missing its parts. Could be a ticket of some sort. You should ask Kenzo when you talk to him."

"I think I will. Thanks Rada."

"No worries, boss."

Thor made his way to the children's room. It was noisy when he opened the door. All six of them were awake, including the baby, and Savva was playing some sort of game with them. They quieted when he walked in. "Hello," he said. "I'm Thor. We met last night. Could you all tell me your names?"

As one, the four who understood looked to Kenzo. He nodded. "The baby is Amira," he said. "And you know me already."

"Yes. Kenzo."

"That's Oz," he said, pointing to the next oldest boy. "That's Madeleine, Kyrie, and Tucker."

"It's nice to meet all of you. Salem is my Third—the third in command in this ring. He's going to take you on a tour of the compound, and then down to lunch so you can meet the other children. How does that sound?"

They all nodded and murmured their approval.

"Kenzo, may I have a word with you before you go?"

The boy shrugged and followed Thor into the other room.

"I know this is probably difficult for you," Thor began. "But I need to know what's going on. Why did they send your transport here?"

Kenzo fidgeted. "We're…not perfect."

"How do you mean?"

Kenzo glared at him, as if trying to figure out if Thor was being funny. Finally, he said, "We all have defects. They sent us here to prove ourselves."

"Who sent you here? And what do you mean 'prove yourselves'?"

"Our parents—the government. All of the children they make now are perfect. Over the past ten years, though, they started having problems. I was the first. Finally, they decided that we couldn't be a part of the community. They sent us here to see if we could survive. If we can, then they know our defects aren't…er…I think the word they used was 'inhibiting' or something. They'll bring us back to live with our families. If we can't…."

Thor listened, brow furrowed. He pictured the families Kenzo mentioned. They probably already had replacement children…. "Okay…what did they say about Chimaera? The planet we're on now."

"Just that it was wild. And that we'd have to protect each other from criminals."

"It's not full of criminals," Thor told him, shaking his head. "You needn't worry there. You'll be perfectly safe here."

"Don't know what would've happened if you hadn't found us last night."

Thor did. They would've frozen to death. Which was the governments plan all along. The children weren't sent here to prove themselves—they were sent here to die. He didn't say any of this. Instead, he asked, "What about these defects? There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with you. You seemed very strong last night when we had our…er…sword fight," he added, smiling.

"It's my eyes."

"What about them?"

"They're brown."

Thor tried to understand, but found he couldn't. "You'll have to explain more. I haven't been to your planet in years."

"Children are born with bright eyes now—green, grey, or blue. And they have to be pure bright eyes—no mixed colors or eyes that change. I'm the first child with brown eyes in fifteen years, since they perfected the engineering of babies."

"Why does it matter?"

"Bright eyes are the best at seeing in the dark. I still can, it's just harder."

"And the others?"

"Oz and Tucker are both left handed. Madeleine is partially deaf, and Kyrie isn't balanced."

"Balanced?"

"It means she's really good at some things, but dead awful at others. Everyone on Hecate and in the Juno system is proficient at all things. Balanced."

"I understand. And Amira?"

"She's like me. Her eyes are dark blue, with green specks. They're not pure or bright."

Thor's mind was spinning. He could hear Salem in the other room, explaining the school system. "Thank you, Kenzo. You may go back with your friends."

Salem gave them a curious look as they came back into the room. "Everything okay?"

Kenzo nodded and sat next to Oz.

"I'm going to let Savva take them," Thor said. "You, Kayia, Rada and I need to talk. Fill you in at dinner, Sav," he added.

"No problem," she said. "Alright, you guys. Follow me."

"What's up?" Salem asked once she'd left with the kids. "Something's wrong, I can tell."

"You have no idea," Thor said. "Let's go find the others."


	5. Chapter 5

**Defect**

There was silence as Thor relayed what Kenzo had told him. The silence rang, even after the Beast King stopped talking.

"I know this is a lot to take in—" he began.

"Thor, this can't continue!" Rada said. "They…they're…."

"Using our planet as a kiddie execution chamber?" the second offered.

"Kayia, must you be so indelicate?" Salem asked.

"Yes," she said. "They're sending kids here to die. It's an indelicate situation."

"We have to proceed with caution," Thor told them.

Rada snorted. "Never thought we'd hear that from you."

"Yeah, well…." He shrugged and ran a hand through his hair. This was all too much. He was used to political tricks and double crossings, but he was out of his depth with this one. "We could go charging out to Hecate, sure. But what good would that do? The Chancellor is just going to deny."

"People need to know about us," Kayia said fiercely. "That's the only thing that's going to stop this. The transports, the kids…. It only stops if people know we're here."

"I think you're right," Thor said, nodding. "But not yet. We have to figure out more. I think I have a plan, but it's going to take some time to put into action. In the meantime, let's make sure the kids are settled in. I'm going to visit the other rings. This needs to be kept quiet. I'm going to tell Tzaddi, Jiro, and Collum. We'll wait out the winter, and then…well, we'll see."

"And what will we tell the sentries?" Salem asked. "They all saw the lights from the transport, and know the kids are here now. I'm sure they can put two and two together."

"I'll let them know to keep their eyes out, but not to expect anything else. I don't think we'll see any other transports."

"What makes you say that?"

"We addressed it immediately afterwards. They won't risk exposure to send more kids. Plus, look at their ages. Everything from a baby to a ten-year-old. They might wait until they have enough to fill a transport. Or there might be something else that we don't know yet. In any case, we have to be patient."

* * *

Thor slid into the seat next to Donnovan, pulling his cloak tighter around himself.

"Sorry about the trouble, Thor," the boy said.

"Don't worry about it. Talk some sense into Aliyah's dad?"

Donnovan shrugged. "He doesn't want me around their chambers, but he hasn't said I can't see her. So, what's with the kids?"

"We're not sure yet," Thor said.

"I watched the older ones have sword practice when I went down for food," he said. "That Kenzo, he's good. I'll take him, if you want."

"Huh?" Thor asked, turning to him.

"The kids are going to need families, right?" Donnovan asked. "He seems like a tough cookie. He's not going to want some parent to boss him around. But he could use a brother – someone to teach him the ropes. I'm already looking after my brother and sisters. I could take him."

Thor squeezed his shoulder. "I'll consider it. Thank you."

"Don't thank me. I just want to field my own netball team for the spring," he said, winking at the Beast King.

Thor chuckled. "Quiet night?"

"Still and snowy and perfect," the boy confirmed.

"Good. I'll send Forest to relieve you in an hour. Stay warm," he said, tossing him an apple. He turned and headed back into the relative warmth of the tunnel where Salem was waiting. "He brings up a good point."

"What? About the families? Maybe…."

"What is it?" Thor asked, hearing Salem's hesitation.

"We don't know what sort of situation these kids came from. You saw Kenzo that night. He's fearless, and protective of the others. We have no idea what they put them through before they sent them here."

"Yes. But what do—"

"We can't just place them with anyone. We have to watch them for a while, and then make a decision."

Thor glanced out of one of the windows, and nodded. "You're right, of course. Who should I put in charge of them?"

"My sister, Gara, has bonded with them. She doesn't want to go back to the Noire ring just yet."

"Alright. Shall I talk to her, or would you like to?"

"I will."

"Very well."

* * *

The bells tolled, signaling curfew. Thor peeked into Rai and Tiz's rooms and smiled. His children were, for once, in bed on time and sleeping peacefully. He went back to his study and rolled up a few blueprints for the ring's newest building. He'd hoped to have it up before this round of night, but the negotiations had taken up everyone's time. It made him even more furious about the situation they found themselves in.

"You have to learn to relax."

"Savva. You should be taking your own advice."

"I've been with the children all day," she said, shrugging. "Can't stop thinking about everything."

Thor nodded, frowning out at the snow.

"You have a plan, Thor. I know it," she said. "I may not be a leader, but I've been around just as long as Kayia. I can read you. Whatever it is…we trust you."

"I know. That's why I don't want to do this."

"Do what?"

"We're never going to get anywhere by staying here and guessing. We need to go to Juno. We need to figure things out on the ground there."

"You can't go, Thor. If they suspect you're on to something, they'll kill you without a second thought."

"Then who do you suggest I send?"

"Me. Or Rada. Or more of us. We could go as a peace envoy, or ambassadors." She put a hand on his shoulder. "All of us promised to work for the good of Chimaera. We'll figure something out. We have another hundred and seventy-nine days."

He gave her a grim smile as she stood. "Good night, Savva."

"Night Thor. Try to actually get some sleep tonight."


	6. Chapter 6

**Defect**

Winter passed like the rest of the winters had – dark and cold and slow. The children settled into their new homes as well as could be expected, thriving under Rada's watchful eye. Each of them had a family now, and with the exception of Kenzo, they had all put their past behind them.

Kenzo was a different story. He'd moved in with Donny (as the ten year old insisted on calling him), but he had questions. He was the only one who would talk about his old life, and every once in a while Thor would catch him watching him.

The Beast King knew that look. The boy wanted answers, and Thor was his only hope of getting them.

The bells tolled out, signaling the last "night" of winter. Thor put his head in his hands, waiting for the rest of his team to get there.

"Thor?"

He looked up, smiling at them. "Have a seat."

"What's up, Thor?" Rada asked. "Is there another transport?"

"No, nothing like that. I just wanted to let you know that I've come to a decision."

"About how to confront Hecate?" Savva asked.

"In a manner," he said, standing up and pacing. "What I propose is this…after the first harvest, we send ambassadors to Hecate. We'll send them under the guise of peace and bringing our planet out into the open."

"But we'll actually be spying," Kayia said, grinning.

"Yes, that is the gist of it. I'd like you to go, Kayia. And you, Rada. And…if she's not too frightened, Tiz."

"Tiz?" Salem asked. "You're sending your daughter on a spy mission?"

"I know it's risky, but Tiz is smart. And powerful, arrogant people like the Chancellor don't pay attention to kids. They don't pay attention to anyone who they think is beneath them."

"That may be true of the Chancellor, but what about any guards?" Savva asked.

"We'll give her instructions," Thor said. "I'll let her know how dangerous this could be…and if she doesn't want to go—"

"Why does she need to go at all?" Kayia asked.

Thor sighed. "Because I have a feeling, and I'm sure you've had the same one, that our group of kids wasn't the last to be dropped here. So what happens if you and Rada go up there and find more? Do you think they'll just let you skip off merrily with them? And if you have to sneak the kids out, do you think you can just explain things? You'll need a child with you to help them feel safe."

"So…we're bringing some of them back?" Rada asked.

"If all else fails. I hope to reach an agreement, if possible."

"But you don't think we will," Salem said.

"No, Third," Thor said morosely. "I don't think we will."

* * *

"Daddy! Daddy, wake up! The sun's out!"

Thor blinked a few times, and Rai came into focus. The boy was standing next to the window, pulling the thick curtains open. "So it is," Thor said groggily. He yawned and reached for the water bottle he kept on his nightstand. Taking a long drink, he sat up and made his way to the window as well. "The horns will sound soon. Shall we get ready for the day?"

As he helped Rai get dressed, he thought about the little girl still asleep in the room just off of his. Tiz…. His stomach flopped every time he thought about sending the young girl into danger, but…. There was another reason he wanted her to go, besides what he'd told the team. Tiz had an eidetic memory, and would be the most reliable source of information. Not just on what she saw and heard, but on exactly how things happened. And she was…there was no other way to put it… sneaky. The plan was spinning in his head – all of the possible ways this could go wrong queuing at the front of his mind. He'd have to talk to his daughter sooner, rather than later. If they were going to do this, it had to be done quickly.

He sighed and fixed Rai's jacket.

"Are we going to wake Tiz?"

"I will in a bit. Go on and collect your school bag."

Once the boy rushed off to grab his things, Thor stood and peeked into the next room. He smiled, spotting Tiz still asleep under a pile of blankets.

"You and Rai make a lot of noise getting ready," came a muffled voice.

He chuckled. Maybe "asleep" wasn't the word. "Sorry. It's time to get up."

"Am I late for lessons?" she asked, sitting up tousle-haired.

"You're not going this morning. I'm taking Rai to his, and then I'll be back. There's something very important I need to talk to you about."

"Is it about Kenzo and the others?"

Thor sighed. She really was too perceptive for her own good. "A bit. I'll bring breakfast back. Go ahead and get ready for the day."

* * *

Thor paused on his way back to his chambers, hearing his Second talk to Savva.

"I don't want you to go alone," Savva said.

"I won't be alone. It'll be me, Rada and Tiz."

"You know what I mean."

"I know. But Thor's going to need you here. Especially if things—"

"Don't say it. I don't want to think about the ways this could go wrong. Just…don't get killed, okay?" she finished weakly.

The knot in Thor's stomach tightened. He hated this. Hated all of this. He continued to his chambers and found Tiz waiting for him, writing at the desk.

"I brought breakfast," he said, setting the basket down on the table. "We should talk."

"It's something bad, isn't it?"

"I don't know," Thor admitted, setting the food out for them. "It could be. It probably is. But we won't know for sure until we…until we see for ourselves."

Tiz chewed silently, eyes boring into him.

"I'm sending Rada and Kayia to Hecate. They're going to be looking into things for me…quietly."

"Spying."

"Yes. And, if it's okay, I'd like you to go with them."

"Because I remember things."

"Because you remember things," Thor agreed. "This isn't a game," he stressed. "This is very probably the most dangerous thing I'll ever allow you to do. I wouldn't even consider it if it wasn't so important. But you should know that you don't have to. I can send the other two, if you don't want to go."

She stayed silent for a long while, and Thor allowed her to think while he at his breakfast. Finally, she set down her fork and nodded.

"I'll go."


	7. Chapter 7

**Defect**

The negotiations took two months, but the Chancellor finally agreed to host ambassadors from Chimaera. The story would go that it was a new planet that had only just been discovered. Thor watched as the transport was loaded. Tiz had already hugged him goodbye and boarded with Rada. Kayia was saying goodbye to Savva. He turned his head when they kissed, feeling as though he were ripping them apart.

"Don't worry, Thor," Kayia said as she climbed the ladder to the ship. "We'll be okay."

He managed a smile, and waved them off.

* * *

Tiz opened her eyes to dazzling sunlight. The transport had flown for two days and two nights. Now on the morning of the third day, she could see buildings as they sped through the Juno system. She jumped out of bed and began getting ready for the day. She moved slowly and with care, trying to calm her nerves. Thor was counting on them – she couldn't be scared now.

Rada and Kayia were already in the main cabin having breakfast by the time she came out of her room. "Are we almost there?" she asked, sitting down.

"Almost," Rada said. "Now Tiz, when we get there, there's going to be a lot of fanfare. As Thor explained it, the story the government has given the people is that we were a recently discovered planet at the edge of the Juno system – the Miracle Planet, they're calling us. There will be some sort of event to honor us, I'm sure, to keep up appearances. It's important that the three of us stick close together at first – until we know if it's safe to split up."

"Yes, Rada," she said, nodding. She reached for a scone and paused. "When we land," she said slowly. "Is there anything I should be watching for? Like…specifically?"

"The Chancellor," Kayia said.

"Kayia," Rada muttered, throwing a nervous glance at Tiz.

"She's in this, Rada," Kayia said. "She's already in as much danger as we are, however little or much that might be. And she knows this isn't a game, and what she's expected to do. Tiz," she continued, "we don't know how things will play out, but the Chancellor is arrogant. He'll drop his guard because we're not a numerical or powerful threat. You don't have to _do _anything – just watch."

Tiz nodded, and began eating her breakfast. It stuck in her throat, but she forced herself to eat a scone, two pieces of fruit, and a bit of breakfast mash (a mixture of fruit and starchy tuber).

The transport finally began to slow as it reached the main city. Through the windows, they could see hundreds, maybe thousands, of people crowding the railings, cheering as they flew overhead. They landed on top of a tall building and stood before the transport doors. It opened with a few loud pops and let in the warm, fragrant air of Hecate.

Rada descended first, followed by Tiz, and finally Kayia. There were met by a party of ten smiling people. A large man at the front of the group strode forward and grasped Rada firmly by the hand.

"Welcome!" he boomed. "You are all so very welcome! I am Chancellor Arcturus. This is my wife, Lea, and our son, Zanu. As you can see, your presence has made quite the splash!" he said as they made their way to the elevator. Once on board, he looked them over properly. "You must be Miss Kayia Noire, and Mister Rada Blanc. I believe you take the names of your…tribe?"

"Ring, and yes," Kayia confirmed, shaking his hand.

"Yes, your Ring. And you," he said, looking down at Tiz. "You must be young Tiz Chimaera – daughter of the King."

"How do you do?" she said in a quiet, nervous voice. The man was, fankly, alarming. He was handsome and muscular, but a bit squishy looking in places. His smile was all teeth, and he had the oily sheen of rotten fruit. He gave the overwhelming impression of someone who, having come up short in physical speed, has devoted his life to speed of the mind. He was intelligent – the dangerous kind. She could see it in his movements.

The son was another story entirely. After the formal introductions had been made, Arcturus ushered the two kids into their own transport so the adults could talk. They would be flown through the city and then taken to the arena to watch a parade. Through the course of the conversation, during which Zanu called her a savage at least three times, Tiz learned a few things. First, he was an idiot. Second, he was an idiot with information. And third, he was definitely her mark if she needed to know things. He was the sort who wanted to look older, smarter, than he was, but didn't know the true value of the information he had. She took to smiling and waving at the crowds as Zanu continued to gripe.

"I don't see what the fuss is about," he whined. "New planets are discovered all the time. Just because we found one full of savages doesn't mean…."

_He wouldn't last five minutes on Chimaera, _Tiz thought with a little grin.

"…and something about how you have a king. How primitive! I expect he's some bullying brute who kills to gain obedience and –"

"He is not a brute!" Tiz snapped, whipping around. "He's kind, and fair, and he doesn't kill anyone." She was careful to keep that in the present tense, because by all accounts, her father had had to crack a few heads in the past….

Zanu sneered at her, but folded his arms and fell silent.

"If you're so interested in acting all superior, make yourself useful."

"How so?" he asked in a bored tone.

"Tell me what those are," she said, pointing to shoebox sized blue orbs on the eastern edge of each building's roof.

"You could try asking nicely," he said with a smirk.

"Oh, good Zanu, would you please be so kind as to educate this poor savage girl as to the exact function of the mysterious blue globes?"

He sniggered, then caught himself when he heard the guards doing the same. He scowled at her. "They're cameras," he said after a pause. "Special cameras that show high detail. They can also project their images directly onto the sky panel. They're showing us now, probably, so the people far back from the front and the people at home can see."

Tiz nodded. That would've been the end of the conversation if she'd had her way, but it seemed Zanu wanted to talk now.

"So why's your father king, then?"

"He brought all the rings together," she explained. "A ring is sort of like…a city, I guess. There are four – Blanc, Ochre, Noire and Sun – and they used to all be at war. He stopped the fighting and brought them all together. So now he's king." It was the highly abridged version, but she couldn't be bothered to waste the full story on Zanu.

The older teen looked impressed. "Then…you'll be queen one day?"

"If I'm worthy and I want to. Otherwise it might go to my brother, Rai. Or it could go to Kayia – she's the Second in our ring. Second in command," she explained, seeing his confusion.

"How old are you?"

She quirked an eyebrow at the random question. "I just turned twelve when spring started again. How old are you?"

"Fifteen."

The hover car came to a halt then, and one of the guards opened the door for them. They stepped out into a long hall and were ushered through a curtain to their seats.

* * *

When the parade was over, Arcturus pulled them aside to talk to them.

"I expect all of the travel and excitement has worn you out," he said. "You will have an honor guard to show you to your apartment, and dinner will be sent up. Relax and enjoy yourselves tonight. Tomorrow we will have a tour of the Capitol – where you're staying – and talk more."

They knew better than to talk while in the presence of the guards. However when they were settled in to the apartment, Rada turned to Tiz.

"So what –" He broke off when the girl gave a loud, fake sneeze.

Luckily, Kayia got the hint as well. "So…uh…did you have fun with Zanu?"

"I guess. He told me a lot about Hecate. Like those blue orbs," she said, pointedly nodding behind them. There was one in the corner. You couldn't even see it unless you closed the front door and turned around. "They're really high tech cameras."

"Neat," Rada said flatly.

"Let's order dinner and get some sleep," Kayia said with a sigh. "We can talk tomorrow."

* * *

Thor had barely slept since the trio had left. He was up now, reading, when he heard the door to his chambers creak open. "Go to bed, Rai," he said wearily.

"It's me."

Thor turned to find Kenzo standing there. "Kenzo? What are you –"

"You sent them to Hecate, didn't you?"

Thor paused. "Yes, that's right."

"I hope they come back," the boy whispered.

Thor walked over and hugged him.

* * *

The tour was boring, but Tiz forced herself to pay attention. Not only to what their tour guide was pointing out, but to other things as well – blind spots, guard placement, things like that. Zanu was a changed man today. Downright friendly, he was whispering little tidbits of information. Most of it was useless, but said with a conspiratorial air that was supposed to mean he knew a lot more, but couldn't tell her. That is, until they got to the top floor….

The building was circular, with rooms alternating positions as you went down the levels – so if a room was at the one o'clock position on level six, there would be a room at two o'clock on level five. As they were passing the twelve o'clock room on this floor, and the tour guide blathered on about research and development, Tiz noticed an inordinate amount of guards around.

"There sure are a lot of guards," she whispered.

"This floor's rooms are top secret, they are," Zanu whispered back.

"It must be terribly exciting then, working up here and being a part of it all."

"Not really. Being a guard is dull work. And there's only three rooms up here anyway. The one ahead – I think it's called the Baroque room or something – only one guard knows what's in it even. And he only works in the early morning."

Tiz nodded. As they passed, she smiled and waved at the guards, glancing casually around. She spotted what she was looking for – a plastic plaque next to the door that read "Baroque Initiative 2".

It was a match to the one found on the children's transport.


	8. Chapter 8

**Defect**

"Are you lost, little one?"

"I think so," Tiz said, sounding as scared and upset as she could. "I just came to find the observatory, but I took a wrong turn."

"That's alright young princess. You see that door with the blue handle? Just there? There are stairs beyond that and when you come out on the third floor down, you'll be back in the hall with your apartment."

"Thank you!" She skipped away, smiling again. When she made it to the stairs, she took a small circular disc from her pocket. It was about the size of the bottom of a mug, and it was their only method of communication with Thor. The stairs only had cameras at certain angles, so she was safe in this spot just in the corner. She hit the button. They had an hour.

* * *

There were two entrances to every room, and a small, but maneuverable ventilation shaft into each. Kayia was on lookout, and Rada was keeping the Chancellor busy. Tiz crawled through the tiny space and looked down into the room. It had been ten… no, play on the safe side and call it fifteen minutes. The scientists cleared out of the room, and she quietly removed the grating.

The room was smaller than she'd expected – only about thirty feet across. There were computers along one wall, and a long row of beds on the other. There was a small child strapped to each one, with an IV running to their arms. Tiz pulled out the small disc again, and clicked the button on the rim. Pictures. They didn't have much, but they could manage this. She heard voices in the hall and crouched down, but no one came in. Quickly, she ran over to the computers. There was one who hadn't shut down before he left, and she quickly sent as much information as she could to Condor back at the Blanc Ring.

"You!"

Tiz jumped, but kept typing. She managed to hit 'send' just as a guard grabbed her. She pressed the last button – a red button – on the disc and allowed them to march her away.

Kayia had been monitoring the signals, and when the emergency one was pressed, she jumped up. If she could get to Rada before the guards got to either of them, maybe they could find Tiz and….

There was a bang as two guards kicked open the door. They grabbed her none too gently and tossed her into the hall. Tiz was already there.

"I'm sorry, Kayia," she said.

"Don't worry."

"Take them down," the lead guard said.

They were marched down to the lowest level and shoved into the back of a transport. From the opposite direction, they could see Rada being pushed toward them, napkin still tucked under his chin from where he had been eating.

"Ah, our ambassadors," came a silky voice. The Chancellor stood next to the transport and looked in. "I had hoped that it wouldn't be something like this. That you really were as primitive as we thought, but alas. Take them to the cells. I'll be along shortly."

The ride through the city was silent. Kayia kept an arm around Tiz's shoulders the whole time. When they got to the cells, they were locked in separately, much to each one's relief. It would be easier this way.

A guard came to her only five minutes later. "The Chancellor," he said, standing aside for the large man.

"Kayia… we should talk. Rada's being most…intransigent. And young Tiz, well…she's too frightened to do anything or say anything sensible."

"What have you done with her?" Kayia demanded.

"She's perfectly safe," he said, pressing a button. An image came up on the cell's wall, showing Tiz huddled in a corner, rocking back and forth. "Now…tell me a story."

Kayia was completely calm. This was nothing compared with the torture she'd endured on Chimaera before Thor's rule. But she knew how and when to play the worried schoolgirl. "If…if I talk –"

"When you talk," the Chancellor corrected.

"She won't be harmed?" Kayia asked, nodding to the image of Tiz.

"We won't touch a hair on her head."

Kayia was silent for a moment. From the start until now, it had been about forty-five minutes. She nodded slowly. "We wanted to know more about the kids – why you were disposing of them on Chimaera. We needed to find out if there would be more coming – if these were kidnappings or what. We knew the kids were…er…manufactured wrong, for lack of a better term. But we needed to know the scale of things."

"And now that you do…what?" he asked, chuckling.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Did you think we didn't know we'd get caught," Kayia sighed. "We knew this was crazy, but Thor wanted information. You want to know something? Something that he'd kill me for telling you?"

"What's that?" The Chancellor leaned forward, clasping his hands as if in prayer.

_Ten minutes, _Kayia thought. _Keep him hooked for ten more minutes. _"Thor's impulsive. He's conniving, and he doesn't care that a few cogs get broken – so long as he gets what he wants."

"Then why would you go along with this?"

"To get my daughter out from under his thumb."

His eyes flickered to the image of Tiz. "She's yours?"

"Yes," Kayia lied. "And I barely get to see her. She lives with him. I thought…I thought maybe we could get away. Can I see her?"

The Chancellor was quiet for a moment, before turning to the guard. "Bring the girl in here."

Tiz ran in a moment later, and hugged Kayia tightly.

"Thank you for your cooperation. If you'll follow me."

They walked out into the hall where two guards were waiting with Rada, who looked like he'd been beaten. They took them through a few hallways, and finally pushed them into a room. It was full of children.

"Those children you found were test subjects," Chancellor Arcturus said. "We were trying to mend them. These are the rejects. The ones who would be sent…away. But now, thanks to your interference, we cannot do that. You," he said, dropping his voice, "and they will be executed tomorrow." With that, he turned and left.

"We don't have much time," Rada whispered.

"Umm…sir?" a small voice squeaked. It was a little girl. She held a cup out to Rada before scampering back to the other side of the pen. There were no older children this time. The girl was probably one of the oldest, and she couldn't have been over nine years.

"Tiz," Kayia began, but the girl just nodded.

"I'll talk to them."

* * *

Arcturus poured himself a drink. His advisor, Mera, fidgeted in the chair across from him. "What on earth is it?"

"Sir…I just think it would be more prudent to let them return to their home. Just think…what will happen if you anger The Beast King?"

"Please stop calling him that," Arcturus snapped. "Thor doesn't have the resources or the technology to attack our system, Mera. Calm down."

"Sir, we could –"

"Chancellor, sir!" the secretary said, rushing in. "You should see this."

He leaned back as the man ran over and started his screen. "Thor?" he asked incredulously.

"They've hacked into our system sir. We can't stop it."

"My planet," Thor was saying, "has been kept a guarded secret for years. I was sent there as a child, and I now rule as a man. At the beginning of our winter, a transport was sent to our planet. A transport full of children – sent here to die."

"Someone cut it off!" Arcturus shouted.

"We can't sir! He's done something to the sys- "

Arcturus didn't wait for him to finish. He ran to the phone and dialed the cable network. "Shut it off!" he barked as soon as someone picked up. "That's an order. Shut this off!"

"He's not going through our system, Chancellor."

"But you have a direct line to all of the screens on Hecate!" he bellowed. "Make them malfunction!"

"We're working on it, sir, but it's hard to track where the interference is coming from."

Arcturus slammed the phone down, and turned back to the screen in his office. He watched in horror as pictures spread out across it.

"And now our people are being held captive with these children," Thor said. "Waiting to be executed. I beg you, do not stand idly by as this happens. Chimaera will always welcome the brave – no matter how imperfect."

The screen cut off and the emergency sirens started to sound.

"Sir, there's riots breaking out all over the city," Mera said, scrolling through reports on his tablet. "What should we do?"

Arcturus stood rooted to the spot.

"Sir? Sir?"

* * *

Rada and Tiz were in front of the group, and Kayia brought up the rear. It had been the work of a moment, getting away. The cells were built with the assumption that there wouldn't be someone in them who knew how they worked. Fortunately, Tiz did. When they'd been thrown in, she'd managed to get a magnet under the latch. And once they were out, it had been mostly clear. All of the guards had gone to see to a riot at the other end of the jail.

"Transports are this way," Rada said, hurrying the children along.

They came out into bright sunlight, and Kayia quickly opened one of the ships. Shots rang out as the kids were filing into the ship.

"Get in!" Rada yelled.

Tiz went first, followed by Kayia who was carrying the last two kids.

Rada was about to follow, when pain began to blossom through him. He'd been hit. He fell backwards off the stairs. "GO!" he wheezed.

Kayia ducked back way from the door as shot continued. She heard something liked a thud, and the door began to shut. "No, Rada!"

He'd hit the emergency closure on the bottom of the transport, and kicked the brake away.

She ran to the control panel as the floated out of the garage. Quickly entering Chimaera's coordinates, she ran to the back window to see her friend lying motionless on the ground, surrounded by guards. Tears welled in her eyes, but she fought them back. There were twelve crying children to think about – grief would have to wait.

"Kayia," Tiz said, tears streaming down her face.

She pulled the girl into a fierce hug. After about a minute, she pulled back and knelt in front of her. "You were amazing. Let's… let's see to the others."

"Rada," Tiz whispered.

Kayia felt her face crumple, but held it together. She nodded. "We're going home."


	9. Chapter 9

**Defect**

Each transport came equipped with enough food for a five day travel of a six man crew. It took some work on Kayia's part, but she managed to ration for all fourteen of them. Even so, when they landed on Chimaera on the third day, all were pretty hungry. Kayia had barely made it to the cabin door when Savva rushed in to hug her, followed by Thor who was tackled by Tiz.

"We were so frightened," he mumbled, picking up Tiz and holding her tightly. "Come, so much has happened since you left."

They trouped out of the transport into the brilliant sunlight. The leaders of the other rings had come to welcome them home, and it was chaos as they got every down into the compound and fed. Finally, Kayia placed a hand on Thor's shoulder.

"Thor…Rada –"

"Is going to be fine."

"What?" she nearly screamed.

"He's okay. Well, not okay…there's a ruddy great bullet wound in him. But he's alive. Here, see for yourself." He tapped at a computer screen for a moment, and then showed it to her.

Kayia gasped as a camera blinked to life somewhere on Hecate. It showed Rada sleeping quite peacefully. He was hooked up to about a hundred wires and tubes, but unmistakably breathing. "But..how?"

"Does the name Korbin Fallsworth ring a bell?"

"That's…the deputy Chancellor, right? From the other party, because he lost the election, but Arcturus figured he'd keep his enemy close."

"That's right. Well, our little broadcast caused riots in Hecate's population. Some of the parents didn't know the kids were being sent here to die, or locked up and having tests run on them. The government told them they would be sent to a camp to test their skills and get better. Some of these kids," he said, nodding to the group playing a game at the next table, "will go home to their parents."

"That's great Thor," Kayia said. "But how do we know they're telling the truth?"

"They're sending Rada back first – and Fallsworth is coming with him to talk face to face. The public know about us now – there was a televised meeting. They can't just push us aside anymore."

Kayia smiled and hugged Savva closer to her.

"There's going to be a school made as well – funded by Hecate. Any kids who aren't wanted because of defects will be allowed to come here. We're going to be a part of the system now."

It was amazing, unbelievable. Their world – their dangerous, sometimes dark world – was changing. Kayia sat back in her chair and watched the children play. The bells tolled, signaling that it was nearly time for bed. And outside, the sun shone down on Chimaera.


End file.
